Former Oregon Duck hired as scouting assistant by New England Patriots
Former Oregon Duck hired as scouting assistant by New England Patriots
The COVID-19 pandemic may have fundamentally altered college football forever. Previously, a player could receive five years of eligibility with a redshirt season, but players were granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID and now there are players making six or more year careers out of college football.
Perhaps the most famous example of this is former Oregon Ducks tight end Cam McCormick. He was relentlessly teased online for being granted nine years of eligibility, but he finally hung up the cleats this year and went undrafted.
Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team reported that with his playing career behind him, McCormick is being hired by the New England Patriots as a scouting assistant. He obviously has no experience coaching, but a player who has been around the college game as long as he has likely has a good sense of how to evaluate players.
Even if he doesn't, McCormick will be trained by a head scout to gain the necessary expertise. After being the butt of jokes for years, he gets an opportunity to climb the NFL ladder and garner the respect of fans nationwide.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
5-star Oregon Football target teases major news
5-star Oregon Football target teases major news The Oregon Ducks could be getting some major recruiting news in the near future. On Friday morning, 5-star cornerback Brandon Arrington, one of the top prospects on Oregon's recruiting board, took to social media to tease some "big news" coming soon. This comes just days after taking an official visit to see the Alabama Crimson Tide, and a week after taking is OV to Eugene to see the Ducks. Arrington stands at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, and is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 10 player in the 2026 class and the No. 1 ATH. From Spring Valley, California, Oregon has been recruiting him heavily for a long time now and is projected as one of the favorites to land him. There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Arrington on 247Sports, but the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Texas A&M Aggies as the heavy favorite to land the 5-star player, with Steve Wiltfong logging a prediction all the way back in October of 2024. We will see what Arrington's "big news" is at some point this week, but there should be some confidence among Oregon fans that it is positive for the Ducks. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Shane Smith and Mike Vasil look like two Rule 5 hits for the rebuilding Chicago White Sox
CHICAGO — Shane Smith pitched a total of 10 1/3 innings during his college career at Wake Forest. He had a shoulder operation as a freshman, and his sophomore year was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Then he had elbow surgery. At that point, even Smith began to wonder if baseball was going to work out for him. 'My dream of playing professional baseball, to say it didn't waver would probably be lying,' he said. 'But I knew there was an avenue somehow.' There sure was. Smith has turned into a pleasant surprise for the last-place Chicago White Sox after he was selected by the team in the Rule 5 draft. The White Sox also have Mike Vasil, another 25-year-old Rule 5 right-hander who was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay in March. The Rule 5 draft provides an opportunity for players left off big league team's 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the active 26-man major league roster all season or else clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Between 10 and 20 players are selected in the big league Rule 5 draft most seasons, but most don't actually stick with their new clubs. Even fewer develop into All-Star-worthy contributors. Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente and two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana are two of the most famous Rule 5 success stories. So far, it looks as if Smith and Vasil are going to stick with the rebuilding White Sox — quite an accomplishment for an organization from one Rule 5 draft. Smith has a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings over 13 starts, and Vasil has a 1.99 ERA in 45 1/3 innings over 20 appearances, all but two in relief. 'Obviously Mike and I are, I think, putting our best foot forward as of now,' Smith said. 'The biggest thing we can do is just keep it going, keep doing the same stuff.' Smith or Vasil very well could represent the last-place White Sox at the All-Star Game in Atlanta. Dan Uggla with the Florida Marlins in 2006 is the only player to be named an All-Star in the season after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, according to Sportradar. Being a Rule 5 player is a unique situation in that first year, but Vasil said he doesn't think about it very often. 'I've spent my whole life trying to get here,' he said. 'So I think it's already hard enough, don't put more pressure on yourself.' The 6-foot-5 Vasil was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of the University of Virginia. He was picked by Philadelphia in the Rule 5 draft in December and then traded that same day to the Rays for cash. The White Sox are Vasil's fourth organization since the end of last season. 'It's a lot,' he said. 'But I think for me, at the same time, I guess you could say you feel wanted by a lot of different teams.' Vasil began the season in Chicago's bullpen, recording a 1.89 ERA in his first 18 appearances. He got his first career win when he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings against Houston on May 4 and his first save when he got three outs at Cincinnati on May 14. But Vasil's six-pitch arsenal — highlighted by an effective sinker and sweeper — makes him a strong candidate for the rotation. He pitched four shutout innings in his second start at Texas. 'Not something that's unfamiliar for me,' he said of starting. 'I started all my minor league career, so in terms of routine I probably know this one a little bit better than my relief one right now.' Smith went right into Chicago's rotation during spring training — an unusual spot for a Rule 5 player. Since 2016, Luis Perdomo, Brad Keller and Mitch Spence are the only pitchers who made at least 20 starts in the majors in the season after they were selected in the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Keller began the 2018 season in Kansas City's bullpen before moving into the rotation in late May. He finished his rookie year with a 9-6 record and a 3.08 ERA in 20 starts and 21 relief appearances. 'I think you definitely pull for all the Rule 5 guys because I feel like, not to say this in a bad way, but Rule 5 guys kind of get a bad rap, right?' said Keller, a key reliever for the Chicago Cubs. 'It's like they're like nobody's got a chance. That's not true. Some organizations are in different situations where they can't protect guys that they want to.' Smith had been in Milwaukee's organization since he signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2021, just weeks after he had Tommy John surgery. He had a 3.05 ERA in 32 appearances over two minor league stops last season, finishing the year with Triple-A Nashville. Smith has a big four-seam fastball that gets into the high 90s, to go along with a good slider and curveball. But the biggest key to his success this year has been the development of a nasty changeup that really came together in the offseason after years of work. Fortunate timing for Smith and the White Sox. 'For a guy that hasn't really pitched above Double-A, he had some innings in Triple-A, but to come here and pitch the way that he does, it just speaks to his ability and his confidence and also speaks to the group of players and staff here to support him,' general manager Chris Getz said. 'Shane is doing really well and we expect him to have a really productive, healthy season for us.'
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Patriots $104 million DT reveals crucial training camp plans
Patriots $104 million DT reveals crucial training camp plans New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams revealed his plans for training camp, starting with a trip back home to Texas to begin training immediately. Williams signed a historic four-year, $104 million contract with the Patriots in free agency, and he plans on repaying them with his performance on the football field. That all starts with preparing the right way over the break and coming back to training camp in shape. 'Go back to Texas and do my training. Make sure I come back into training camp in tip-top shape and ready to go,' Williams said, via MassLive's Mark Daniels. 'I'm ready to use some of this physicality. We've got to rush and then stop. (This spring) we've got to let the quarterback throw the ball. I'll come around and be ready for sure.' Williams is coming off a Super Bowl-winning season with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he'll be looking to help anchor a Patriots defensive line that struggled last year. The unit should be much improved in 2025 with Williams and a healthy Christian Barmore in the mix. They also drafted Florida State standout defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, along with making upgrades at linebacker and edge rusher. On paper, the Patriots' defense looks like one of the better units in the league. We'll get a sense of how high the ceiling is when they return from the break and put the pads on for training camp. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
